So you want to get a UCF shirt for the upcoming football game, and maybe one for your friend back at home as a gift. You walk into the book store, find a shirt that you somewhat like, and check the price tag. You then check your bank account, sadly realizing that you won’t even get a shirt for yourself, much less one for your friend back home. So what do you do? Make a tacky shirt for the game with gold glitter and puffy paint? Beg your roomate to let you borrow her clothes? Better: purchase a shirt from Knight Life Clothing!
I got to chat with Ryan Austin this week, who says that he started Knight Life Clothing as an alternative to the campus book stores. He agreed that the clothing in the book stores were cool, but the price to buy a simple t-shirt was not. He wanted to start something that gave students on a budget an opportunity to buy a t-shirt, but still have money for a drink at the game! How sweet is that?
Although Knight Life Clothing is not at all affiliated with UCF, Ryan has made great business with fellow Knights students and fans.
Year/Major?
Senior, criminal justice.
Where are you from?
Originally from Foxboro, Massachusetts. Currently live in Palm Bay, Florida which is about an hour away from UCF. It’s not a fun drive.
How did you start Knight Life Clothing?
My main clothing brand, Dirty Water Tees, helped spark Knight Life Clothing. I started Dirty Water Tees with the intentions of bringing Boston Sports inspired tshirts to Boston sports fans like myself. I wanted to make them affordable for the average blue collar fan so they can afford to grab a shirt and still have some money for a beer at the game. Once I started attending UCF, I figured I could offer a similar product to students on a budget who are looking for something different that you can’t find in the bookstore.
Where did you get the inspiration for KLC?
Any inspiration I get usually comes from my friends. In the case of Knight Life Clothing I was talking with some friends about Dirty Water Tees and the idea of a clothing line for students came up. We threw around some ideas of what we could offer, where we could display them, and if there were a market for something like this. We wanted to get something out there that would catch someones attention and potentially start a conversation. Considering shirts at the bookstore usually cost an arm and a leg, it’s nice to be able to offer a product that is a little more affordable for students and that also has a little edge to it.
How many people are involved in KLC?
There are three main people involved in Knight Life Clothing including myself. My good friends Connor and Will help out with graphic design and marketing aspects of it. They help when it comes to some shirt designs and contests we may run on social media.
Is your job easy or hard? Fun or not?
I wouldn’t say that my job is easy, but when you enjoy what you do, it’s hard to say your job is hard. It is definitely hard work keeping up with both of my brands and still having time for classes and homework but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Working with Knight Life Clothing is very rewarding. Having someone purchase a shirt online and then comment on our Instagram page that they love it, or even post a photo of them in it is a great feeling. We teamed up with Gray’s Bookstore by UCF and having them offer our shirts has really helped our name getting out there. Being able to see dozens of people wearing a shirt we created and printed is so rewarding.
What does a typical work day consist of for you (and your co-workers)?
It’s hard to say what a typical work day consists of because I feel as if I am always working. Whether it’s sitting on my laptop working on designs, hanging out with my friends and talking about ideas for the brand, or even if I am at a local bar, I am able to Instagram a picture or talk with others about who we are and what we do. Other than that aspect of it, you can usually find me at my small warehouse where I print all of our shirts and tank tops.
What is your most popular/best selling product?
Our most popular item is easily our “Damn Good Knight” tank tops. We offer them in both black and white as well as on tshirts.
Do you take suggestions and ideas for t-shirt sayings?
We do! We have had a very limited amount of submissions but we get asked this question a lot. We would love to work with some UCF design students in the future.
What other organizations are you involved in at UCF?
I am currently a member of Lambda Alpha Epsilon, a Criminal Justice professional fraternity.
Do you have any advice for young wanna-be entrepreneurs?
My best advice for future entrepreneurs would be to plan and research. Don’t rush into anything. Make sure you’re knowledgeable about your product or service before you start your venture. I have done well with little planning, but if I had planned the start of Dirty Water Tees and Knight Life Clothing better, I believe the brands could be more successful at this stage. I also highly recommend any entrepreneurs check out the new Blackstone Launchpad in the Student Union. It is a great resource that any student should be using.
Advice for incoming freshmen at UCF?
Have fun. Enjoy your time at UCF. It’s almost time for me to graduate and it’s pretty bittersweet. The UCF community is great and getting involved as much as possible is key to having a good experience. There are a lot of people doing great things here, and being around them only betters yourself.
Obviously, Ryan’s hard work and dedication to his t-shirt company has made for many happy Knights! So next time you’re on a budget and need a t-shirt for a game or simply want a Knight Life shirt, head over to http://www.knightlifeclothing…. and place your order!